Heavy Metal Switch Grass

Heavy Metal Switch Grass

Heavy Metal Switch Grass

Blue-gray blades form a dense upright clump topped by airy panicles 12-16 inches above the foliage in July. In fall the foliage turns yellow to red and the panicles become creamy tan. Expect to see this display through much of winter even with snow and wind. Tolerance of a wide range of soils and moisture levels make this warm season grass a great garden accent today. Originally, switch grasses grew in what are now nearly extinct remnants of tall grass prairie.

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Throughout this site, the following are used as guidelines for watering established plants:

These truly xeric plants can live with our 12 inches of natural annual precipitation and only need a winter watering during a multi-year drought, but they will thrive with a monthly watering. Overwatering will kill some of these.

These plants are adapted to intermittent deep
watering with soil drying to a depth of a few inches between waterings. Watering frequency may be every couple of weeks during the active growing season and maybe only one winter watering for optimal care.

These plants need regular watering somewhat like a bluegrass lawn so that
they never dry to depth in the root system during the active growing season, and need occasional winter watering to prevent root dessication and resultant plant
death.